Dry-pipe valve mechanism



W. N. BALLARD.

DRY PIPE VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYYI5, 191s.

Patented Mar 30, 1920.'

IN VEN TOR.

WI TNESS: 4

lTED STATES OFlQl l;

WEIR-TAM El. BALLARD, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGN 01% 0F ONE-HALF TO JAMES S. G'UMMINfi, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

DRYJIPE VALVE MECHANISM.

Application filed May 15,

T0 at; whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BALLARD, a citizen or the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of 'Wyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Dry-Pipe Valve Mechanisms, of which the-following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic dry pipe valve mechanisms of the type used in automatic sprinkler systems in which air under pressure is utilized to normally retain water under greater pressure from filling the sprinkler system until a fire occurs and opens one or more sprinkler heads.

Accordingly I provide an improved angular arrangement of air and water valves so between the upper valve and its seat through] positioned and connected as to obtain the requisite differential action for holding said valves normally upon their seats.

It is also sought to provide an improved anti-water-column valve structure adapted.

to prevent resenting of the water valve after the latter has been opened, said Water valve in turn acting, when in seated position, to maintain said anti-water-colu mn valve open.

Other features will hereinafter appear, and in order that the invention maybe fully understood reference will. now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of valve.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of another iorni of valve.

Referring now in detail to the various parts, 1 designates the valve casing having upper and lower flanges 2 and 8, respectively, whereby it is connected to the sprinkler system. Access is had to the interior mechanism of the valve through a hand hole 5 in one side of the casing, which is normally closed by a face plate 7.

The valve casing is divided intoa lower water chamber 9, an upper air chamber 11, and an intermed ate chamber 13 by the water valve 15 and the air valve 17. The. air chamber 11 has an extension 20 at one side bounded on top by an arcuate wall 22 and the back by an inclined wall 2 1*, to receive the valves 15 and 1? when in the open position disclosed by dotted lines.

i The valves 15 and 1'? normally rest upon separate seats 26 and 28 surrounding ports 30 and 32., respectively, wi h a flexible gasket 1. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat n-ted )[guy 30 192() 1918. Serial No. sedans.

which the water lows to the sprinkler system should a fire occur. The valve 15 is of less diameter than the port 32 to pass therethrough when the valves open. The valve 17 is connected at its margin to the casing 1 by a pivot 3% and has an intermediate depending leg 36 connected by a'pin 37 to a lug;- 38 on the intermediate upper portion of the valve 15.

As shown on Fig. 1, the valves 15 and 17 are arranged at an acute angle to each other, with the valve 15 pivotally supported by the pin 37 for limited swinging movement about. an parallel to the plane of the valve relation to each other and causes a portion of the valve 15 to project above the lower face of the valve 17, which is provided with a recess -10 to receive said portion of the valve 15 and also a portion of thevalve seat 26. y A "-lZ designates a small anti-water colum valve arranged within the intermediate chamber 13 and connected at its margins to the interior of the valve casing 1 by a pivot 1 i. through the valve casing 1L A drain pipe 49 leading to a. sewer is connected to the seat 46 to carry otl' any water which may leak past the valve 15 into the intermediate chamber 13. For this purpose the valve 42 is normally held in open position by a lip 51 on the valve 15'.

Connected to the valve casing 1 at the air chamber 11 is an air supply'pipe 53 provided with a valve 54, and connected to the casing valve 17 becomes reduced as in the case of a fire which opens one or more ofthe sprinkler heads, thatpart of the Water pressure that tends to open the valves will cause the valve 15 to open and swing the valve l'htherewith to the dotted line position, As the valve 15 swings open it releases the small valve &2 which immediately heconiesseatedand prethe valves and 1.7 from reseating. When the purpose of the, water hasbeen 80 Said valve -12 has aseat .46 extending portion of the seat 26. The valves 57, 15 and v 17 are then closed after which air is forced into the system through the pipe 53 until the esired air pressure is obtained above the valv 17. When lowering the valve 15, the

- valve 4-2is raised so that the valves 15 and 17 may meet their respective seats.

In some instances when the valves open they fall backward to their seats and they are however prevented from becoming seated by a lug on the valve 42 which engages the lip 51 and prevents the valves 15 and 17 from completely closing, whereas if the valves 15- and 17 were permitted to become seated with equal pressure in upper and lower chambers they would become watercolumned due to the difi erential of the valves. With the valves 15 and 17 arranged as shown, full pressure of the water is exerted against the underside of the valve 15 and tends to open the same, which pressure may be represented by a dotted line drawn through the pin v37, and is transferred through said pin to the valve 17 at a point central thereof. Only one component of the water pressure is efl'eetive in reacting against the air pressure, the other component being exertedin a line parallel with the direction indicated by the dotted line b drawn through the pivot 34; Said line 1) indicates the obliqueness of the valve 17 withrelation to the direction in which the water pressure acts and it will be understood by the obliqueness of the dotted lines a and 2) that a considerable part of the water pressure exerted on the valve 17 acts on a line connecting pin 37 with pivot 34 and against the latter pivot,-and is therefore inefiective to open valve 17, the remaining component of the pressure being active to open the valve when the air pressure is reduced. In this res iect the principle of operation is similar to that which characterizes the devices described in Patents'Nos. 1,180,817 and 1,208,452, issued April 25th, 1916, and December 12th, 1916, respectively, in respect to which devices the present device is an improved and more completely commercialized form.

The proportion of force thus transmitted to the pivot 34- and thus to the casing may of course be Varied as; desired by simply varying, Within proper limits, the angularity of the valve seats 26 and 28.,

ejIn the modified form disclosed. by Fig. 2, the principle of the construction is similarto that of the structure already described, the corresponding parts being indicated by corresponding, reference numerals :Witll exponents, the chief difference being that the valves 17 and lfi and their valveseats are arranged in an angular relation the reverse of that obtaining m the preferred form of construction. The principle of the operation remains the same in all essentials.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is:

1. A dry pipe valve mechanism comprisinga casing having air and water chai'nbers separated by an intermediate chamber, and pivotally connected air and water valves, controlling communication between said chambers, said intermediate chamber being provided with. an outlet passage and an anti-water-colunm valve movable to close said outlet pass-age, said last-named valve and one of the other valves being arranged so that their paths of movement intersect, whereby said valves reciprocally obstruct each others closing movements.

2. A dry pipe valve mechanism comprising a casing having'an air chamber and a water chamber and an intermediate cham-' ber provided with upper and lower valve seats arranged at an angle to each other adjacent said air and water chambers, respectively, said intermediate chamber being provided with-a water outlet passage, an air valve pivotally connected with the .cas in and adapted-to close the upper valve seat, a water valve pivotally carried by said air valve and adapted to close the lower 'alve seat, and an anti-water-column valve associated with said water outlet passage and mounted for movement in apath intersecting the path of movement of saidwater valve, the angular relation of said air and water valve being such that the force tending to open said water valve is rendered partially ineffective for opening the air valve by av component thereof being exerted thereon along a line connecting the pivots of said air and water valves. v

3. A dry pipe valve mechanism comprising a casing having an air chamber and a water chamberand an intermediate chamber providedv with upper and lower valve seats arranged at an angle to each other adjacent said air and water chambers, respectively, a

pivot-ally movahleair valve adapted to close said upper seat, and a water valve pivotally carried by said air valve and adapted to close said lower seat, said intermediate cham her being also provided with an outlet passage and an antiwvatcr-column valve movable to close said outlet passage, said lastnamed valve and said water valve being arranged so that their paths of movement intersect. whereby said valves reciprocally 4 valves being arranged so that the path of said movement ofthe anti-watercolumn valve intersects the path of movement of one of the other valves, whereby the valves having the intersecting paths of movement reciprocally obstruct .each others closing movements.

5. A dry pipe valve mechanism comprising a casing having an air chamber, a water chamber, and an intermediate chamber provided with upper and lower valve seats arranged at an angle to each other adjacent said air and Water chambers, respectively, a pivot-ally movable a-ir'valve' adapted to close upper seat, and a water valve pivotally carriedby said air valve and adapted to close said lower seat, said intermediate chamber being also provided with an outlet passage and with an anti-water-column valve movable into position to close said oulet passage, said water valve having a projecting portion engaging said anti-water-column valve and normally retaining the latter in open position, and said anti-water-column valve having a ortion projecting, when said anti-water-co umn valve is closed, into position for obstructing the reseating movement of said water valve 6.. A dry pipe valve mechanism comprising a casing having an air chamber and a water chamber and an intermediate chamber provided with upper and lower valve seats arranged at an angle to each other adjacent said air and water chambers, respectively, andwith a portion of the lower seat projecting within and through the plane of the other sea't, an air valve adapted tofclose the upper seat and pivotally connected with the casing and prov ded with a depending leg, a watervalve adapted to close the lower seat and-provided with a pin connecting said water valve with said leg for limited pivotal movement about an axis parallel with the plane of said upper valve seat, said intermediate chamber being provided with a water outlet passage, and an anti-water-column valve associated with said Water outlet passage and mounted for movement in a path intersecting the path of movement of said water valve, the angular relation of said air and water valve seats being such that the force tending to open said water valve is rendered partially ineffective for opening the air valve by a component thereof being exerted thereon along a line connecting the pivots of said air and water valves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. BALLARD.

\Vitnesses: I i

FRED C. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER. 

